Sprinkler



PATENTED FEB. 9, 1904'.

W. H. CASE. SPRINKLER.

APPLIOATION FILED 00115, 1903.

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No. 751,612. PATENTED FEB. 9, 1904.

W. CASE. SPRINKLER.

APPLIOATION FILED OUT. 15, 1903.

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v Qwvemtoz Patented February 9, 1904.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. CASE, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

SPRINKLER- SIPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 751,612,dated February 9, 1904.

Application filed October 15, 1903. Serial No. 177,181. (No model.)

To (all whom it ind/7,1 concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. CASE, a citi- Zen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Springfield, in the county of Hampden andCommonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Sprinkler,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in water-sprinklers for street use,and particularly to adjustable sprinklers in which peculiarly-arrangedpipes and rack and gear mechanism are employed, as hereinafter setforth; and the objects of my invention are, first, to provide asprinkler which is economical in the use of water and effects a savingin time; second, to afford means for sprinkling which may be adjusted tocover more or less space; third, to provide convenient and positivemeans for actuating the telescoping pipes of the device, which iscomparatively simple in both construction and operation, and,fourth, tofurnish a sprinkler of the class specified which is practicable andefficient, has movable parts which are easily operated, and is strong,durable, andnot liable to get out of order. I attain these objects bythe means illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1is a front view of my device placed on the front end of a watering cartor truck, one of the extensions being run out and the other normallydisposed; Fig. 2, an end view of the complete device detached, portionsof the gears being broken off; Fig. 3, a crosssection, the gears beingomitted; Fig. 4:, a plan view of part of one of the extensions, showinghow the rack is attached thereto; Fig. 5, a plan view showing the methodof binding the parts together; Fig. 6, a plan view of a portion of oneof the carrier-pipes, showing how the rack is attached thereto; Fig. 7,a view of the water-tight connection between the carrier and extensionpipes, the first pipe with the packing ring and nut being in section;Fig. 8, a side view of the packing-nut; and Fig. 9, a plan view of thecomplete device unattached, allmembers being normally disposed. Fig. 9is about one-quarter the size of the other views, except Fig. 1, whichlatter is about onehalf the size of the first-mentioned figure.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

My invention is particularly adapted for a motor-vehicle sprinkler whichdoes not run on tracks, although it may be used with any ordinary meansof locomotion, whether running directly on the road-bed or on tracks. Inthe drawings, which illustrate a preferred form of construction, I showthe device applied to a motor-truck A, portions only of the front end ofwhich are shown in Fig. 1. A water tank Bis mounted on the truck A. Anysuitable pipe connections from the tank B to the sprinkler proper may beprovided, such connections being indicated at C and D D. So, too, mayany suitable means of support for the device be provided, the hangers EE being used in the present instance, the same depending from projectingparts of the truck.

, My sprinkler proper, which is connected with the pipes C and D D andsuspended from the hangers E at the front of the truck A, but which maybe connected and attached in any other suitable manner to a wateringcart, car, or truck, comprises a group of pipes, as follows: Aperforated main sprinkling-pipe a, two imperforate carrier-pipes b, oneabove the other and both preferably in the rear of said main pipe andfirmly attached thereto, and auxiliary perforated extension-pipes 0 0,projecting from opposite ends of said carrierpipes that is, one on eachside of .the truck. Associated and connected withthis sprinkler is themechanism presently to be described, by means of which the pipes 0 areoperated. The main sprinkling-pipe ((1 has its ends closed by caps (Z(Z, between which it is perforated in the usual manner for the escape ofwater. A short pipe a, rising from the center of the pipe a, connectsthe latter with the pipe G from the tank B. The pipe (4 is adapted tosprinkle the space between the wheels of the truck, although it may bemade long enough to sprinkle beyond such space, in which event the pipes0 may only be employed when extended or thrust out of the pipes 6 beyondthe ends of said pipe a. In the present instance, however, the pipes Z)are used at all times to sprinkle in front of the wheels of the truckand some distance each side thereof, as will be readily understood byreference to Fig. l (the left-hand side) and Fig. 9, the outer end ofeach pipe 0 being perforated, as well as other portions.

As above noted, the outer ends of the pipes c are perforated, as are thefront sides or bottoms, in the usual manner, While the inner ends ofsaid pipes open into the pipes or carriers Z). The end of each carrierZ) opposite that through which the pipe or extension 0 protrudes isclosed by a cap f, which is connected with one of the pipes D, leadingthrough the pipe C to the tank B. The mainsprinkling-pipe (Z ispreferably locatedso that its horizontal central plane is in line withthe horizontal central plane between the carriers 5.

The actuating mechanism for the extension 0 consists of racks g g andmeshing gears h h, a plurality of straps and a" being utilized torespectively assist in holding said racks to the carrier 7) and fastenthem to said extensions. A plurality of straps 7' firmly secures themain sprinkling-pipe (Z and the carriers 6 together. Each rack g isplaced loosely in a trough k, which has a base is beneath said rack andturned up back of the same and a lip la projecting over the top of therack. The troughs 7c are fastened to the backs of the carriers 6 bystraps c', which are bolted at Z to said troughs, pass over and underthe carriers 6, and are bolted together at Z along the horizontal medianline in front of each carrier. The outer end of each rack g is bolted atm to a block or, which is fastened to the back of the correspondingextension 0 near the outer end by the straps 2", bolted at m to saidblock and bolted together at m along the horizontal median line in frontof said extension after passing over and under the same. The extreme topand bottom bolts Z also secure the rear ends of the straps j, whileboltsZ" fasten the front ends of said straps together along thehorizontal median line of the front of the pipe a. In the present casethe straps j are attached to the bases of the hangers E. This method ofstrapping and bolting the parts together recommends itself because ofcompactness as well as being very strong and effectual; but othermethods may be adopted, of course, and it is plainly to be seen that thestraps may be located at the sides of and remote from the straps 2', ifdesired.

The gears it are fast on the lower terminals of rods 0 0, which aresuitably journaled in the truck. The rods 0 extend upward to a positionwithin convenient reach of the driver or operator and may havehand-wheels 0 0 on their upper ends to facilitate rotating them.

In order to prevent leakage of water from the end of each carrier Zaround its extension 0, I use a ring 2, of suitable packing material,and a nut g. The packing-ring p fits tightly over the extension againstthe end of the carrier opposite the cap f, where it is firmly held bythe annular shoulder q in the nut q, the latter being screwed onto theoutside of said carrier. Although neither trough Z; extends to the nut gon the associated carrier, but falls short of both the nut and the capf, the rack 9 after leaving said trough must pass said nut. Hence it isnecessary in the present construction to cut off the adjacent corner ofthe nut, as best shown at q in Fig. 8, in order to remove what wouldotherwise be an obstruction to the rack.

When the street being sprinkled is too wide to be properly covered bythe device arranged as shown in Fig. 9, one or both of the extensions oare actuated outward the required distancethrough the medium of theracks g and gears it by rotating the rods 0. Under some conditions thewater falls short only on one side and a single extension 0 is all thatneed be thrust outward, the corresponding gear It being revolved in theright direction the requisite number of times to run out said extensionthe distance required, while under other conditions it is necessary toextend the device on both sides in order to spread the water over thewhole space that has to be sprinkled. In this manner either acomparatively narrow range on the one hand or a very wide range on theother can be conveniently attended to, and the change from one extremeto the other or to any intermediate range can be expeditiously andeasily made, it being understood that the extensions 0 can be actuatedinward as readily as they are thrust outward by rotating the gears 71 inthe proper direction.

Each pipe 0, even when fully extended, has a suflicient bearing in itscarrier Z),which it fits quite snugly, to afford ample support for theexposed portion of said pipe, and the trough 7c, owing to its peculiarconstruction, is particularly well adapted to support the rack at alltimes. Moreover, since the rack cannot turn in the trough the formerprevents its attached pipe 0 from turning, and thereby insures adischarge of water from said pipe the direction of which is constant.

The design of my sprinkler is such that only enough water for sprinklingthe required space need be used. Hence there is no waste, this being inpart due to the general construction and, furthermore, to thetelescoping feature. It will be seen, therefore, that the sprinkler isnot only economical in the use of water, but provides for an evendistribution and obviates any liability to throw a double stream, whichmight produce a muddy condition in the street. Owing also to saidtelescoping feature, a saving of time is effected, inasmuch as theentire space can be covered in one trip of the cart, car, or truck.

A valve or valves must be provided in the usual and well-known mannerfor controlling the flow of water from the tank B into thedischarge-pipes C and D; but it has not been deemed necessary toencumber this case with an illustration or description of the same,since such valve or valves form no part of my invention.

I am aware that telescoping pipes for water-sprinklers have been usedbefore, and do not seek to claim the same broadly in the abstract; nordo I wish to be confined strictly to the exact construction andarrangement of parts herein shown and described, since certain changes,such as have hereinbefore been pointed out and others, may be madewithout departing from the nature of my invention. It should beunderstood, too, that in some cascs as when an extended range isrequired on but one side, for instance-the sprinkler need be equippedwith only one carrier, ex-

tension, and associated members.

' group of connected and attached pipes comprising a perforated mainpipe and two imperforate carrier-pipes provided with perforatedextensions, the latter telescoping into the carrier-pipes, of racks fastat their outer ends to said extensions, and means on said carrier-pipesat the side to support and guide said racks.

3. The combination, in a sprinkler, with a group of pipes comprising aperforated main pipe and two imperforate carrier-pipes provided withperforated extensions, of racks fast at their outer ends to saidextensions, means on said carrier-pipes to support and guide said racks,and means to bind said main and carrier pipes together.

4. The combination, in a sprinkler, with a fixed main sprinkling-pipeadapted to discharge water only between its ends, of an as- WILLIAM 11.CASE.

Vitnesses:

F. A. CUTTER, STEPHEN S. TAFT, Jr.

